THOROUGHBRED RACING : Trainer Hopes Rain Stays Away, the Turf Stays Dry for Bien Bien

Horse of the year Kotashaan is gone, off to a stud career in Japan, but the American grass division, the group that saved racing from dropping into a deep hole a year ago, has recovered nicely. The holdover turf stars are intact, not having Kotashaan to beat and ready to battle for the Eclipse Award that some of them have deserved but none of them has won.

That battle has been regional so far this year, with Bien Bien and Star Of Cozzene training in California, Lure based in Kentucky and Fraise campaigning in Florida. Their paths should eventually converge on Churchill Downs for the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 5, but this weekend the preliminaries continue. Bien Bien is entered in Sunday’s $400,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita and Fraise in Sunday’s $200,000 Hialeah Turf Cup Handicap.

Star Of Cozzene, who beat Kotashaan three times in 1992-93, hasn’t raced this year and is a couple of months away from his first start. Lure returned to the races a week ago at Keeneland, winning by four lengths in his 1994 debut.

With Lure and Bien Bien, the weather is frequently a factor, because rain brings soft turf and neither horse is comfortable in that kind of going. Needing a race to get Lure ready for the Early Times Turf Classic on May 6 at Churchill Downs, the day before the Kentucky Derby, trainer Shug McGaughey ran him anyway on a yielding course at Keeneland. Paco Gonzalez, who trains Bien Bien, hopes that forecasts of rain don’t prove true at Santa Anita this weekend.

The most adventurous trainer in the 55th San Juan Capistrano is Roger Attfield, who brings Fairy Garden, a 6-year-old mare, to Santa Anita. She finished third on March 13, less than a length behind, while Fraise was winning the Pan American Handicap at Gulfstream Park for the second consecutive year.

Fairy Garden, winner of stakes at Gulfstream and Atlantic City last year, beat males at Saratoga before running seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita in November. Laffit Pincay, who rode her that day, also has the assignment Sunday.

Bien Bien, second by a head to Kotashaan in last year’s San Juan, went over the $2-million mark with an easy victory in the San Luis Rey Stakes on March 27 and has been assigned high weight of 122 pounds.

This is the field, in post-position order with jockeys and weights, for the race of about 1 3/4 miles:

Bien Bien, Chris McCarron, 122 pounds; Navire, Gary Stevens, 113; Fairy Garden, Corey Black, 113; Siebe, Pat Valenzuela, 111; Afaladja, Sal Gonzalez Jr., 107; Grand Flotilla, Eddie Delahoussaye, 112; River Rhythm, David Flores, 111; Devinez Monsieur, Alex Solis, 113; Alex the Great, Chris Antley, 112, and Emerald Jig, Rafael Meza, 113.

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In the last important preps for the Kentucky Derby two weeks from today, Blumin Affair is the 2-1 favorite in today’s $500,000 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and Soul Of The Matter is the 9-5 choice in Sunday’s $125,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.

The late-running Blumin Affair hasn’t won a stake and is winless since October, but he was second to Brocco in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and second to Smilin Singin Sam in the Remington Park Derby two weeks ago. Trainer Jack Van Berg likes the way he has developed.

“If I can keep him sound, I believe he has a hell of a shot in the Kentucky Derby,” Van Berg said.

Van Berg saddled Alysheba for his Derby victory in 1987. The Hall of Fame trainer has been back only once, finishing 13th with Din’s Dancer in 1988.

Ride The Rails, a distant second to Holy Bull in the Florida Derby, is the second choice at 5-2 in today’s 1 1/8-mile race. The nine-horse field also includes Judge T C, Bayou Bartholomew, Concern, Silver Goblin, Finder’s Wish, Fly Cry and My Magical Star. Silver Goblin, who ran third as the 2-5 favorite at Remington Park, ending a six-race winning streak, bled in the race and will run with Lasix today.

After beating Brocco and Valiant Nature in the San Felipe, Soul Of The Matter was scratched from the Santa Anita Derby because of a leg blister. His chief rivals in the 1 1/16-mile Lexington are Southern Rhythm, who finished fourth as the Jim Beam favorite at Turfway Park, and Oakmont, who was a six-length winner in another stake on Jim Beam day.

Also entered are Ulises, an undefeated Panamanian colt making his first United States start, Sir Walter Lyzalot, Ledford, Able Buck and Smart Enough.

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Mike Battaglia, the Churchill Downs linemaker, said that he would probably make Holy Bull the 8-5 favorite for the Kentucky Derby and Brocco the second choice at 5-2. A favorite has not won the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979.

If Holy Bull goes off favored, Mike Smith will have the rare riding experience of being aboard the Derby choice two consecutive years. Smith rode Prairie Bayou, the 4-1 favorite, to a second-place finish behind Sea Hero last year.

The last jockey to ride Derby favorites two consecutive years was Ron Turcotte, who won with a couple of 3-2 shots, Riva Ridge and Secretariat, in 1972 and ’73.

With a running style such as Holy Bull’s, Riva Ridge led wire to wire at Churchill Downs.

“Holy Bull reminds me a lot of Riva Ridge,” said Turcotte, who was at Gulfstream Park to watch Holy Bull’s victory in the Florida Derby. “They’re both freaks. They go out there early and then just keep going.”

Only four jockeys have won the Derby in consecutive years, the only one since Turcotte being Eddie Delahoussaye with Gato Del Sol and Sunny’s Halo in 1982 and ’83. The only jockey with the chance to equal that feat this year is Jerry Bailey, who has switched to Irgun for the Derby. In the Wood Memorial, Gary Stevens rode Irgun to a 1 1/2-length victory over Baily on Go For Gin. Stevens is committed to ride Brocco in the Derby.